Open-cycle breathing equipment, particularly for skin-divers



. Feb. 24, 1959 PARTICULARLY FOR lSKIN-DIVERS l' Y oPENfCYcLE BREATHINGE QUIFMENT Fla.

l1NVENTOR R055? T0 GAL EAZZ/ 7 ATTORNEYS R. GALEAZZI Feb. 24, 1959 OPEN-CYCLE BREATHING EQUIPMENT, PARTICULARLY lFOR SKIN-DIVERS Filed sept. 14,1955 5 Sheets-*Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS OPEN-CYCLE` BREATHING EQUIPMENT,PARTICULARLY FOP. SKIrN-DIVVERS Filed sept. 14. 1955 INVENTOR V@OBERTOGALEAZZ/ ATTORNE United States Patent i' t 2,874,692 OPEN-CYCLEBREATHING EQUIPMENT, PARTICULARLY FOR SKIN-DIVERS Roberto Galeazzi, LaSpezia, Italy Application September 14, 1955, Serial No. 534,343 `Claimspriority, application Italy September 25, 1954 SClaims. (Cl. 12S-142)This invention relates to open-cycle breathing equipment andparticularly to underwater breathing equipment for skin-divers orfrogmen viz. by divers who, without a diving suit, remain under waterfor considerable time (up to some hours according to the divers abilityand the diving depth).

` `'Ille main object of the invention is to provide in open- `cycle`breathing Vvequipment an fairintake valve or \breathing valve (wherebythe term `air is used to comprise not only the air proper, but breathingmixtures `of oxygen with helium, argon or other diluent gases) which ispositively controlled yfrom the users mouth, by the users tongue, teethor lips, according to its construction, thus avoiding either an undueexcessive air consumption, as is the Acase in the continuous air owbreathing equipments, or` an objectionable breathing valve control byhand.

n Another object of the invention is to provide an under water breathingequipment inv which the outlet piece of the air-intake tube or breathingtube is attached to a conventional divers mask and thus needs not toendwith an objectionable mouthpiece, while the breathing valveis providedwith a control lever which is easily controllable by the divers tongue,teeth or lips.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a diie'rentialvalvepartieularly adapted for use on underwater breathing equipment, of thekind above-referred to, which ensures that the air which is fed to theintake tube has `'always a predetermined pressure in excess n(say 1-2atmospheres) of the pressure due to the head Vof water at which thediver is working, thus avoiding the noxious e'tects due to the variationof the pressure in the air-bottles during the use.

j `Other objects and advantages will become apparent from 'the followingspecification in conjunction with the accompanying `drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a section through `an embodiment of ian air-outlet piece ofabreathing equipment, provided with a tongueor teeth-controlledbreathing valve.

Figure 2Mis a plan view of the saine air-outlet piece and breathingvalve, together with a `part of the flexible exhaust tube and with theexhaustvalve inserted in vau air bubble-fractionating perforatedcanister, said parts being also shown partly in section and partlybroken away.

Figure 3 shows in section a second embodiment of airoutlet piece ofbreathing equipment vprovided with a controlled breathing valve attachedto the intake tube andV carrying a differential `pressureredu'cingvalve, and j Figure 4 is a section through another outlet piece of abreathing equipment, `iitted to a divers mask.

With reference to the drawings, 1 is the air-intake or breathing tube ofa breathing equipment and which is connected to a source of air undersuitable pressure, which may be either an air pump or compressed airbottles, which maybe both of conventional construction, and thereforeneed not to 'be shown or described.

lIn the `embodiment shown in Figures l and 3 the tube 1 is connected to-a nipple -forming an extension of an internally screw-threaded cylinder2 in which van openended cylindrical `flange -23 of a hollow air-outletpiece '3 is screwed. The part from which this cylindrical ange projectshas a centrally `perforated hub the end of whichthat opens into saidcylindrical flange 23 is formed as a valve 'seating. Between thisseating andtlie bottom users mouth.

2,874,692 Patented Feb. 24,

lCC

part of the cylinder 2 a spring 17 and a ball valve 9 are inserted sothat said valve 9 is urged against said seating of the hub 10 and closesone end of the bore 108 of said hub. In this bore 108 a stern 8 integralwith said ball valve 9 is slidably mounted with sui'licient clearanceand it is of such a length as to project for a short distance above theupper end of said hub 10.

In the outlet piece 3, above said iiange 23, a chamber is formed inwhich a double-armed lever 4 is pivotally mounted on a pivot 5 fastenedto said outlet piece 3. One arm 7 of said lever projects above the endof th'e valve stem 8 while the other end `6 projects out of an open part12 of said 'outlet piece which is provided with a projecting member 11and on which a conventional rubber mouthpiece is tted.

Of course, instead of a ball valve, any other type of self-closing valvemight be employed. Thusin Figure 3 the ball valve is replaced by a platevalve 90, theremaining parts beingrexaetly alike those 'shown in Figure1.

These valves, which -for simplicity shall be called breathing valves arecontrolled Afrom the users mouth, preferably by the users teeth, whicheasily shifts upwardly the lever end 6, thus depressing the valve stemv8 and opening the valve intermittently, when he wants to inhale freshair. After some exercise, this control movement of the teeth becomesalmost automatic.

According tothe embodiment shown in FigureY 4, t-he hollow outlet piece31'co`ntaining the lever v4, which controls the air-intake or breathingvalve 90, isshape'd as a curved rigid tube tightly fitted by one of itsends to a corresponding opening of a conventional divers mask 30. Thusthe air outlet piece of this` breathing equipment opens into the maskand not directly into the In the upper part of said tubular outlet piece31 a small cylinder 32 having its axis substantially at right angles tothe axis of ther said upper tubular part is formed integrally or istightly fitted. This cylinderprojects inside and outside the outletpiece 31. The inside part is closed by a centrally perforated bottom 10through which projects the stem of a breathing valve 9% pressed by aspring 17 retained in the cylinder by a split -ring or the like 132. Theoutside projecting end of said cylinder 32 serves as connecting nipplefor the breathing tube 1. In the upper cylindrical casing part the usualtongue, lipsor teeth-controlled lever 4 is mounted, whose control end,6, in the example as shown, is screw-threaded and carries a smallcontrol strip V106 which may be fastened atan adjustable height betweena pair of nuts.

The tubular outlet piece 31 beyond the bent part ends with a tubularprojection 131 constituting a saliva collector and ending with adischarge valve 33.

In both embodiments, as'shown in Figure 2 the outlet piece is providedwith a tubular connection 13 ending with an outlet valve 15 which isenclosed Vin a perforated box or canister 16, designed for subdividing-the large air bubbles let out through fthe valve 15 into a large numberof very small air bubbles.

Between the source of air'supply (usually steel bottles containing airor air-like mixtures at pressures of up to 200 atmospheres) and the airintake a suitable differential valve must be inserted which suppliesair-at a constant pressure of 1-2 atmospheres in excess of the pressureof the head of water above the diver. A difierential valve particularlyadapted for use with the breathing equipment just described is`shownattached to the valv'ed mouthpiece shown in Figure 3.

This consists of a suitably large container 19 divided by a membrane 25into two separate chambers 26 and 28. The membrane yis `traversed by atube 27 'one `end of which Vis fastened to or integral with `a flangedcup 127 tightly attached to `said membrane. The free end f the tube 27passes through a packing gland 24 and its very end is made as valvehead, for example as pin valve 20, co-acting with a seat formed at theinterior of the nipple 22 which can be connected to a conventionalsource of compressed air (not shown). A spring 21, whose force isexactly adjusted in advance, is inserted between the bottom of the cup127 and the gland 24 and keeps normally opened the valve 20. The chamber28 is in communication with the exterior through the holes 29, while thechamber 26 is provided with a nipple 102 which is connected to the airfeed tube 1.

The operation is apparent: The force of the spring is adjusted so thatwhen the air pressure in the chamber 26 is in excess of a predeterminedpressure (for example 1 to 2 atmospheres) above that of the externalpressure filling the chamber 28, this excess of pressure promotes theclosure of valve 20. When however this excess of pressure sinks under apredetermined limit (for example 1 atmosphere), the spring 21 opens saidvalve 20, which remains open until the predetermined working pressurehas been built up in the chamber 26.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that the breathing equipment isparticularly adapted for skin divers as it permits to open amouth-controlled breathing valve each time the diver wants toeffectively inhale fresh air, thus avoiding an excessive air consumptionand increasing the efficiency time of the bottles containing thecompressed air. Furthermore, a ydifferential valve has been providedwhich, by working in combination with the mouth-controlled breathingvalve permits of feeding fresh air at the constant required pluspressure above that due to the head of water at which the diver works.

I claim:

1. An open-cycle breathing equipment, particularly for skin-divers,comprising a flexible breathing tube, means for feeding compressed airto the exible breathing tube, an outlet piece fitted at the end of saidbreathing tube; a breathing valve fitted in said outlet piece and soconstructed as to remain normally closed and to close in the directionof flow of said compressed air from the said breathing tube toward thesaid outlet piece, a lever fitted in said outlet piece and having a partco-acting with said breathing valve and adapted to open same, said leverhaving a part projecting outwardly of the said outlet piece shaped to tinto a users mouth and to be moved under control of a mouth part(tongue, teeth or lips) of the user so as to open said breathing valveand allow the same to be closed at will, and an outlet valve for exhaledair fitted on said outlet piece in a position as not to be interceptedby said breathing valve, said breathing valve being a ball valve andhaving a stem integral with the ball valve and projecting into saidoutlet piece.

2. A breathing equipment according to claim 1, in which the said outletpiece is in form of a tubular member and is tightly fitted to a portionof a divers mask adjacent a mouth position of the mask, the outer end ofsaid lever being screw-threaded; a pair of screw nuts screwable on saidthreaded lever part and a control member adapted to be held in positionbetween said screw nuts and to be adjusted along said screw-threadedlever part so as to be in the-best position to be controlled by a partof the divers mouth, preferably by the divers teeth.

3. A breathing equipment according to claim l, in which between a sourceof compressed air and the breathing tube a membrane valve is fittedwhose membrane is on one side adapted to be under the combined influenceof the outside pressure and of a spring, and on the other side under theinfluence of a compressed air pressure and which membrane carries avalve acting on the inlet of said compressed air source which valveopens, and puts the source of air pressure into communication with thesaid side of the membrane under the influence of the air pressure untilthe pressure of said air exceeds the outside pressure by a predeterminedamount, and when such predetermined excess of air pressure has beenbuilt up, it acts on the membrane to close the said valve carriedthereby and intercept the communication with said source of compressedair.

4. An open-cycle breathing equipment, particularly for skin-divers,comprising a flexible breathing tube, means for feeding compressed airto the flexible breathing tube, an outlet piece fitted at the end ofsaid breathing tube; a breathing valve fitted in said outlet piece andso constructed as to remain normally closed and to close in thedirection of flow of said compressed air from the said breathing tubetowards the said outlet piece, a lever fitted in said outlet piece andhaving a part co-acting with said breathing valve and adapted to opensame, said lever having a part projecting outwardly of the said outletpiece adapted to fit into a users mouth and to be moved under control ofa mouth part (tongue,

teeth or lips) of the user so as to open said breathing valve and allowsame to be closed at will, and an outlet valve for exhaled air fitted onsaid outlet piece in a position as not to be intercepted by saidbreathing valve, said outlet being in the form of a tubular member andbeing tightly fitted to a portion of a divers mask adjacent a mouthposition of the mask with the outer end of said lever beingscrew-threaded; a pair of screw nuts screwable on said threaded leverpart and a control member adapted to be held in position between saidscrew nuts and to be adjusted along said screw-threaded lever part so asto be in the best position to be controlled by a part of the diversmouth, preferably by the divers teeth.

5. An open-cycle breathing equipment, particularly for skin-divers,comprising a flexible breathing tube, means for feeding compressed airto the flexible breathing tube, an outlet piece fitted at the end ofsaid breathing tube; a breathing valve fitted in said outlet piece andso constructed as the remain normally closed and to close in thedirection of flow of said compressed air from the said breathing tubetowards the said outlet piece, a lever fitted in said outlet piece andhaving a part co-acting with said breathing valve and adapted to opensame, said lever having a part projecting outwardly of the said outletpiece adapted to fit into a users mouth and to be moved under control ofa mouth part (tongue, teeth or lips) of the user so as to open saidbreathing valve and allow same to be closed at will, and an outlet valvefor exhaled air fitted on said outlet piece in a position as not to beintercepted by said breathing valve, there being between a source ofcorpressed air and the breathing tube a membrane valve whose membrane ison one side adapted to be under the combined influence of the voutsidepressure and of a spring, and on the other side under the inuence of acompressed air pressure, and which membrane carries a valve acting onthe inlet of said compressed air source which valve opens and puts thesource of air pressure into communication with the said side of themembrane under the influence of the air pressure until the pressure ofsaid air exceeds the outside pressure by a predetermined amount, andwhen such predetermined excess of air pressure has been built up, `itacts on the membrane to close the said valve lcarried thereby andintercept the communication with said source of compressed air.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS439,093 Barian Oct. 2S, 1890 2,484,044 Metzger Oct. 1l, 1949 2,485,908Morrow Oct. 25, 1949 2,695,609 Nourse Nov. 30, 1954 2,810,387 Arpin etal. Oct. 22, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,078,875 France May 12, 1954

